David Keth, LPN, honored as a DAISY Award Recipient.

“PAH would like to congratulate David on receiving the DAISY Award.  If you visit Rapid Care at PAH, you will be in great hands with LPN David Keth!  The nominator for his DAISY award stated it best by saying, “David is a gem of a nurse and never seems to have a ‘bad day’.  Every encounter I have ever had with him has been so positive and you can just tell that he cares.”   We agree and are very proud to have David as a nurse in Rapid Care,” stated Paula Spack, Vice President of Patient Care Services at the Punxsutawney Area Hospital.

David graduated from Brookville Area High School then continued his education by obtaining his LPN license from Jeff Tech in 2001. David has been a nurse and taking care of patients for over 23 years. Punxsutawney Area Hospital has been fortunate to have David as part of the PAH team for almost 3 years.
“What I love about being a nurse is being able to help others and the patient interactions.  I'm passionate about patient care,” stated David. This is showcased in the care David delivers to each of his patients and was highlighted in his DAISY nomination. “My son has special needs and gets frequent ear infections, so we have had many trips to Rapid Care, and David is always THE BEST. He is so patient and kind with my son and talks to him like a “normal” person. He spends the extra time checking in with me and makes me feel understood and heard,” stated David’s nominator.  Not only being honored to have received the DAISY award, David stated, “Being the only LPN from PAH to have received this designation is very humbling and I'd like to thank my coworkers, we learn so much from each other.  We work well together and are a family.”.  


The DAISY award is part of a national nursing recognition program called the DAISY Foundation. An acronym for Diseases Attacking the Immune System, The DAISY Foundation was formed in November 1999, by the family of J. Patrick Barnes who died at age 33 of complications of Idiopathic Thrombocytopenic Purpura (ITP). The nursing care Patrick received when hospitalized profoundly touched his family. Today, DAISY proudly honors nurses wherever they practice, in whatever role they serve, and throughout their careers- from being a nursing student through lifetime achievement. The mission of the DAISY Foundation is to express gratitude to nurses that recognize them for the extraordinarily compassionate, skillful care they provide patients and families. By honoring compassionate nurses, DAISY reinforces the importance of compassion in healthcare.

The DAISY Foundation has created a specific set of guidelines to determine what qualifies a nurse for a DAISY award.  Any nurse that works for Punxsutawney Area Hospital is eligible to be nominated for this prestigious award. Nomination forms can be found in various locations at the hospital, they are given to patients upon discharge, and the electronic form can be found on www.pah.org. The nomination forms are reviewed 3 times a year for consideration. Each nomination will be blinded during the process of review. The review is completed by an internal committee of the hospital for consideration.

Nominations can be submitted at any time, there is no cutoff date for consideration. DAISY recipients receive a pin, a ‘Healers Touch’ Sculpture, reduced prices for educational advancement opportunities, access to seminars and journals, and discounts for various conferences for the entire length of their career. For more information about the DAISY Award or to make a nomination, visit www.pah.org